Display card holder



July 19, 1932. G s. MALCOLM 1,867,920

DISPLAY CARD HOLDER Filed March 29, 1932 j INVENTOR G, S. Mar/L00 liq 1 Q mm ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES enonen 's. MALCOLM, or AUBURN, CALIFORNIA DISPLAY CARD HOLDER Application filed March 29, 1932. Serial No. 601,754.

This invention relates tocard holders for store shelves and particularly represents improvements over the structure shown in my co-pending application for patent,.Ser1al No.

583,.l l3, filed December 28, 1931.

The card holding member of the prevlous application and the necessary sprlng control means were so mounted and arranged that the holding screws could only be placed at l definitely fixed points, according to the judgment of the'manufacturer rather than according to the needs of any individual user. Also, this construction necessitated a number of hand operations in the manufacture and assembly of the device so that the cost of the same was relatively high.

The principal object of my present invention is to avoid the objectionable features of the previous device while retaining all 1ts advantages by arranging the card holding strip and spring mounting means so that the spring units are initially separate from the holder itself, and so that it is easy to make these units and the holding members on a mass production basis without much, if any, hand work being necessary, thus reducing manufacturing costs. Also said spring and mounting units are now so arranged that they can be disposed along the card holding strip in such spaced relation as the needs of any individual shelf installation may require. v

These objects I accomplish by means of n. such structure and relative arrangements of parts as will fully appear bya perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts'in the several views:

Fi 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a store shelf arrangement showing my improved price card holder mounted in connection, therewith.

Fig. is an enlarged cross section of the holder as mounted on a shelf and taken on i the line 22 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a similar view as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5 showing a card as being inserted or removed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan .view of the holder as in its normal position in connection with a shelf. 7

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the holding device advanced relative tothe shelf to insert or remove a card.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a merchandise supporting shelf on which the goods 2 of various kinds are supported in segregated order as usual and as indicated in Fig. 1.

The card holder for any one shelf between the partitions 1a thereof comprises a strip 3 extending lengthwise of and under the shelf adjacent its forward edge. This strip is of sheet metal and is formed with an upstanding lip 4 along the entire length of the same which extends in front of the front edge of the shelf and overlaps the lower portion of said edge. The holder strip and lip may extend the-full lengthbetween partitions 1a or they may be in a number of strip against buckling buthas another purpose as well, as will be seen. Cages 6 are disposed under and extend transversely of the strip at intervals. Each cage has horizontal oppositely extending base pads 7 at its opposite ends, drilled to receive the. necessary mounting screws 8. The forward pad and the adjacent portion of the cage underlies the strip 3, the corresponding screw projecting into the wood of the shelf through a slot 9 formed in the strip and extending transversely thereof. There are a plurality of these slots disposed in suitably spaced relation alongthe strip so that the cages and 4 out a limited distance. ing-screw of the-cage is of course tightened their screws may be located at correspondingly different points along said strip, so that their position and the number used may be altered according to the requirements as governed by the length of the shelf section between its partitions.

The other end pad 7 of each cage bears on the shelf back of the strip so that the corresponding screw secures the cage directly to the shelf. The sides of the cage are cut away ahead of the back pad as indicated at 10, so as to permit the lip '5 passing freely through and also moving back and forth. A helical spring 11 is disposed in each cageand bears at one end against the lip 5. The other end of the spring bears againstthefront end of the cage and said cage is mounted-on the shelf so that the spring is under compression when the lip 4 is engaged withthe front edge of the shelf. Said lip therefore always tends to press against the shelf with a-certain pressure while at the same time it may be pulled The forward mountup only suflicient to hold the cage close against :the strip without binding the same against transverse movement.

By means of this arrangement it will be seen that any'number of price cards or tags 12 of equal thickness may be supported by any one holder at whatever position in the length of the strip or shelf may be desired.

The lower edges of the tags are similarly gripped between the lips L and the front edge of the shelf; the :gripping action being aided by'the fact that the lip 4 is bent at an acute angle toward the shelf, as shown. To insert or remove any tag it is only necessary to engagethe back lip 5 of-the holder with the readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

'NVhilethisspecificationsets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of "Tithe device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the inven'tion, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A card holder foruse in connection with a :shelf :comprising a strip to extend under the shelf lengthwise thereof, an upstanding lip along the front edge of the strip adapted to overlap the front edge of-the shelf, a depending lip along the back edge of the strip,

compression springs extendingtransversely of and under the strip which atone end engage the forward sideof said depending'li'p,

and means for engaging the opposite end of each spring to cooperate with said lip to maintain the spring under compression and in a substantially fixed position in connection with the shelf.

2. A card holder for use in connection with a shelf comprising a strip to extend under the shelf lengthwise thereof, an upstanding lip along the front edge of the strip, adapted to overlap the front edge of the shelf, a depending lip along the back edge of the strip, compression springs extending transversely ofand under the strip which atone-end engage the forward side of said depending lip, and means for engaging the opposite end of each spring-tocooperate with the lip to maintain the spring under compression, and means for mounting said spring engaging .means on the shelf and for also holding the strip against longitudinal movement without interfering with limited transverse movement thereof.

3. A card holder for use in connection with a shelf comprising .a :strip ;to .extend under the shelf lengthwise thereof, an :;up standing lip along the front edge 10f the strip adapted =to overlap the front :edge of the shelf, adependinglip along the. back edge of the strip, .compresslon springs. extending transversely ofandzunder the strip which-at one .end engage the iforwardsiderof said .depending lip,cagessenclosing the springs and .engagingthe endsiof the same oppositeto the lip to cooperate with the lip @to .hold the .spr'ingsaunder compressiomisaid cagesextending back of the strip andthe-dependingilipxto rest=on2the adjacent portion of the'shelf, and means to secure the back portions :of the cages tozthershelf.

4. Av cardholderifor use :in connection with a shelf comprising .a strip :to extend under the shelf lengthwise thereof, an upstanding lip along the .front edge of the :strip .zadapted itO overlap the :front edge of the shelf, a depending ilip ;along:the back-ed'ge of the strip, compression springs :extending transversely :of :and under the strip which atone end engagesthe forward side of said depending lip, means .for engaging :the opposite end of each :springnto cooperate with the lip;and.maintain saidspringunder compression, and means for mounting said spring engaging meanson the shelf .at selectively different locations 'along the strip.

5..A. card holderfor use in connectionwith a shelf comprising a'stripto extend under the shelf lengthwise thereof, anupstanding lip along the front edge of the strip adapted to overlap the front edge of the shelf, a de- M pending lip along the back edge of the strip, compression springs extendingi'transversely of and underthestripwihich atoneend engage the forward side ofsai'd depending'lip,

cages enclosing the springsan'd engaging the/1,

ends of the same opposite toth'e lipto co- 

